Uefa denies plan to invite non-member nations to compete in European Championship

Football - 07 Oct 2013 -

Uefa, European soccer's governing body, has rejected a claim that it wants to revamp the European Championship to rival Fifa's World Cup.

The UK's Independent on Sunday newspaper reported that Uefa was considering expanding the tournament to include Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Japan.

A Uefa spokesman said: "Uefa is not aware of the plans mentioned in the story."

There is a precedent for continental championships inviting outsiders, with USA, Mexico and Costa Rica, all of which fall under the control of Concacaf, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, having participated in previous Copa America tournaments run by Conmebol, the continental confederation for South America.

Having been involved in previous editions, Japan was asked to take part in the 2011 Copa America but declined the invitation following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in the north-east of the country, and was replaced by Costa Rica.

Fifa, soccer's international governing body, would regard a European Championship that recruits nations from outside the continent as a threat to its own World Cup, which accounts for around 87 per cent of its total revenue.

Under changes to the format, Euro 2016, to be hosted by France, will involve an unprecedented 24 teams, eight more than participated in Poland and Ukraine last year, and Euro 2020, also featuring 24 teams, is to be staged in 13 cities around the continent.